Indicators of God's Will
God, I don’t think I’m very good at this.
God, are you sure this is making a difference?
These are the thoughts and questions that have been seeping into my brain like water in a basement after a big storm. Did God really call me to this?
A question often whispered in prayer or in the ear of a trusted friend: How do I know if this is God’s will for me?
I don’t presume to step in as your Holy Spirit, but I believe we can be confident of God’s will for our lives if two truths are evident.
1. Is God glorified in this?
One of the lies our society (even in Christian circles) proclaims is this: God’s calling should be big and glamorous. Author A was a stay-at-home mom until she discovered the secret to parenting. Now she’s a nationally known speaker with a bestselling book. Pastor B felt a call to ministry out of a life of drug addiction. Now he’s the lead pastor of a church with 50 campuses and thousands of people. Can God call Author A and Pastor B to glorify Him in their respective ministries? Absolutely!
God can call us to a ministry that will reach many . . . or to one that will impact a few. God can call us to glorify Him in what we’re already good at . . . or in a ministry that will stretch us. God can call us to what we’re passionate about . . . or to what we struggle with every moment of every day.
We often hear about the heroes of the faith: Paul and Peter, Matthew and John, Mary and Martha. But what about Rhoda, who opened the door for Peter when he miraculously escaped from jail (Acts 12:13)? What about the boy who took his lunch to where Jesus was teaching (John 6:9)? What about Lucius, Jason, Sosipater (Romans 16:21), Tychicus (Ephesians 6:21), Aristarchus, and Epaphras (Colossians 4:10, 12)? What about all those unnamed, other than “brothers and sisters,” in Paul’s letters?
If God is glorified, whether the calling is big or small, that’s a good indication of it being His will.
2. Do I have a sense of peace about this?
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Does “anything” and “everything” include God’s will? Absolutely! So often we hear ourselves and others say, “Just pray about it.” As if praying is our last resort. When we’ve asked every wise person we know for counsel. When we’ve read every book and listened to every sermon on the subject.
Prayer comes first. If God gives me a sense of peace about a ministry He wants me to pursue, that’s also a good indication of it being His will.
So, when thoughts or questions about the validity of God’s will in your life seep in to torment you, don’t believe the lie. When God is glorified and His peace fills you, God’s will—big or small, difficult or easy—can be made evident in your life.
